Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Purex is rolling out a new Triple Action formula across the entire liquid detergent line. This new and improved Triple Action formula delivers even better on Purex's promise to leave your clothes bright, white, and clean, at half the price of the leading brand.

Purex's R&D scientists have been working hard to create an even better Purex formula and have come up with the new Purex Triple Action formula. New Purex Triple Action leverages the best parts of their current formula, combined with new additions, to deliver great cleaning and improved brightening power. As with all their current detergents, new Purex Triple Action has been specifically formulated to work in both traditional and HE washers.

Purex is one laundry detergent brand that I use on a regular basis. I like that it's inexpensive and efficiently cleans my clothes. I don't know specifically what the new formula is that's added, but I've used the laundry detergent on several of my loads. Mountain Breeze, the scent I've used, isn't overpowering. The detergent itself isn't watered down and a little bit seems to go a long way. My husband and nephew are the biggest culprits when it comes to dirtying up clothes, although the rest of the household isn't innocent. The Purex Triple Action has been successful in removing the dirt and minor stains from our clothes.

Win It!

Three people will each win a coupon for FREE Triple Action liquid detergent.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Wow, this year has flew by fast! It's hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone. For the first time in a long time, we didn't have any snow. Me and snow aren't friends so I can't say I missed it, but it didn't seem much like the holidays without it.

December 23rd is when my children got to open their gifts from us. Between seven kids, four adults, one dog, and a ton of presents, the house was pretty packed.

Christmas Eve morning was modern warfare with Nerf guns in the kitchen. Shelby was the main target.

Christmas Eve we had dinner at my sister's house. The spread of food was enough to almost put me in a coma. Oh, and make me gain five pounds!

We exchanged more gifts at my sister's house.

Step-daughters, Allyson and Juliann

Daughter, Shelby

Great-niece, Ayala, says it all with her tongue sticking out!

I received lots of wonderful gifts. Some included a microfiber plush blanket, Tassimo coffee, pajamas, Water for Elephants book, metal wall clock, photo collage frame, and more.

Whether you consider yourself a geek or a collector of all things cool, ThinkGeek has an abundance of amazing gadgets, toys, t-shirts, and electronics. I've done reviews and giveaways for ThinkGeek in the past and have been fascinated with their products every time. I don't consider myself a geek, but I could spend hours browsing all the neat items that ThinkGeek has to offer.

If you are a Star Wars fanatic, you'd be amazed at all ThinkGeek has to offer for the movie fans. Take the Star Wars Han Solo Carbonite Chocolate, for instance. Officially licensed, the dark chocolate bar is molded to look like Han Solo frozen in carbonite. It comes encased in a gift box. Logan and Adam ate this chocolate bar up almost as quick as I got a picture of it. They said it was one of the coolest looking pieces of candy they'd seen and it was yummy delicious. They also mentioned that the plastic packaging the chocolate is in almost looks like a vault, making it look like Han Solo is trapped inside and trying to get out. So they chanted "Free me! Free me!" while munching on the head and arms of Han Solo.

Bananas are eaten about as quick as they're brought in the house, so I thought it'd be a hoot to try out the Grow Your Own Banana Tree greenhouse. The kit comes with everything you need to grow bananas. Once the banana tree (that's actually an herb) sprouts, it will grow about a foot the first month. Included are banana tree seeds, a windowsill greenhouse, planting mixture, and instructions. Juliann and Emma have been taking care of the seeds, following the instructions, and waiting patiently for anything to sprout. Right now it's cold weather where I live, so we have to be careful not to let the greenhouse near the windowsill when the temperatures drop. We're still waiting on any bananas to form, but we're excited to see what may come about.

Shelby has been rockin' out with the Ladies Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt. What makes this shirt special is that the guitar decal on the front plays like a real guitar with music. All power cords are recorded from a real electric guitar, so you can strum out all you want. The included mini amp clips to your belt and has volume control. The sound quality is clear and it's pretty loud when turned up at full volume. The shirt itself runs small, so it's best to order one size up. Shelby may not know how to play a real guitar in real life, but she can semi-sorta have some serious strummin' skills when wearing this shirt.

To clean the shirt, the decal comes off the front and the amp unplugs. Once the shirt is clean and dried, the decal gets pressed back into place and the amp connects back to the ribbon part of the shirt. The shirt requires 4AAA batteries for the amp, and they're not included.

I've watched episodes of Dr. Who from time to time and understand there's a cult following of the popular sci-fi show. My kids don't have the first clue about Dr. Who. That didn't stop Adam from thinking The Doctor's Nano-Recorder is pretty darn awesome. It is a voice recorder that lets you record a message for up to ten seconds long and flashes a red light. It requires 2 AAA batteries, which are not included, and looks like something from outer space. The boys like to record goofy messages on it and ambush their family members with surprise messages and red lights.

ThinkGeek has a Geek Points program that rewards you for shopping with them. The more you shop, the more points you earn. By earning points from each purchase, you can redeem those points later for free products.

I received products for review from ThinkGeek. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

Fuller Brush is focused on providing modern remedies for today's cleaning needs. With much cleaning experience, they have the know-how and expertise to provide you with cleaning supplies to make home cleaning faster and easier.

I had the opportunity to review the Original Copper & Brass Polish from Fuller Brush. Honestly, I wasn't too sure what to do with it at first. Obviously, it's use is to clean brass and copper but I don't have a whole lot of that lying around my house. Lo and behold, I decided to give it a try on the bottom of my cooking pans that were coated with darkness from years of cooking with them.

It's important to wear rubber or latex gloves when using the Original Copper & Brass Polish. I poured a small amount onto a cloth and applied it to my cooking pans, then let it sit for a few minutes. I then rinsed the pans thoroughly and wiped them dry with a different cloth. It almost looks like I have new pans now! I've also used the Copper & Brash Polish on the doorknobs in my home and they are now a lot shinier and newer looking. The Original Copper & Brash Polish is made with special anti-tarnish ingredients that leave surfaces clean and adds a protective barrier.

Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who entered. Please check your entries to be sure you follow via GFC, subscribe to email, etc. The first winner chosen for the Chick-fil-A giveaway said they subscribe by email, but I couldn't verify that. So another winner was chosen.

To enter any of my current giveaways, check out the list on the top left hand side. There's no limit to how many you can enter or how many you can win.

Monday, December 26, 2011

My daughter will be attending college next fall. It's still some time away, but I've been gathering items for her that she can use while at college. For Christmas, I got her a pop-up laundry hamper and other things to start her college stay. I'm not ready to let her go, but I want her to have the needed essentials.

eBags, the world's largest online retailer of bags and accessories for all lifestyles, recently sent me a set of Packing Cubes for review. I knew they'd be perfect for Shelby. Once she saw them, she knew they'd be perfect for her too.

Packing Cubes from eBags come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I received a three-piece set in purple. Made of TechLite Diamond Nylon, each one has a mesh top panel for easy identification of contents. The interior seams are fully finished for durability and corded double zipper pulls make opening and closing simple.

When I first got the packing cubes, two of them were nestled inside the largest, which shows me they are very compact and don't take up much space if they're not being used. Shelby has already started storing items in her packing cubes and says she plans to use them throughout her college stay. The largest cube holds her towels and washcloths, the medium one holds beauty and hygiene products, and the smallest one holds important documents and applications. She's been able to pack quite a bit into the cubes and likes the design of them. If she wasn't already using them, I could get a lot of use out of them myself during camping season by packing toiletries and camping equipment in them.

I received products for review from eBags. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

I'm no stranger to Aerobie, a sports toys brand. I've worked in the past with them, reviewing the coffee press and the flying discs. This time I was given the chance to review their newest product, the Aerobie Megatop.

Made in the U.S.A., the Aerobie Megatop Spinning Top is perimeter weighted and precision crafted for long spins. The quick launch accelerator easily achieves 3000+ RPM spin rates. It includes a catching plate for catching, throwing and balancing tricks and a spin booter for almost unlimited spin times. Several tricks and games can be played for hours of fun and competition.

The Aerobie Megatop has quite a long spin time. A clear area is needed if you are spinning it on the ground, to keep it from knocking against obstacles. Once it's spinning, you can throw it in the air and catch it with the catch plate to watch it spin against that. The spin booster is used to keep the top spinning while it's in motion, for even longer spins. Logan and Adam have learned a few tricks using the Aerobie Megatop and like to compete to see who can come up with the coolest tricks and keep it spinning the longest. You can watch a video fo the Megatop in action at http://aerobie.com/videos/Megatop320.wmv.

Released November 1, 2011, Country Dance 2 is twice as much boot scootin' fun! It features all new music, all new moves and this time, you get to sing along! Country Dance has set the bar for all dance games with over 18 CMA award winning artists - and now that list has grown to 30+ songs featuring today's hottest artists and their new hit songs.

Notice my nephew wearing cowboy boots with his sweatpants!

Country music is not my genre of choice, but I'll listen to it once in a wihle. Everyone else in my household likes country music, and Country Dance 2 has been a big hit. This Wii game features current country songs from big hit stars. I don't know a lot about country music, but I know enough about the stars listed to know they are popular. Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, and Jason Aldean are just a few.

Each player only needs one Wii controller to play. Participants can choose which song they'd like to dance to or have it randomly selected. Some songs are easier to dance to while others are a little more intricate. By following the computer generated dancers, participants follow moves on the screen to get scores on dance numbers. There's not a lot of variety in the dance moves and a lot of it resembles line dancing, but it's fun to play and we all compete to see who can get the highest scores.

I received Wii game for review. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

I'd like to wish my readers and PR contacts a wonderful, warm, happy, and merry Christmas!

I've already celebrated Christmas with my family. Today all of our kids will be at their other parental homes to exchange gifts so we did our family gift exchange on the 23rd. Christmas eve is when we opened gifts at my sister's house. Lots of good food was consumed and nice gifts were exchanged. I found out that I'm going to be a great-aunt again when the news was divulged at my sister's Christmas dinner. I'm so happy there will be another addition to the family and another baby to spoil! My kids were grateful for all they got and I came away with some nice presents. God bless everyone!

I have fond memories of playing board games with my mother and brother when I was growing up. Maybe that's why I like to play games with my kids so much now. Blue Orange Games sent my family a couple of games to review and we were more than happy to play them. Blue Orange Games has over eleven years of experience creating high quality games using durable materials. The company pledges to produce eco-friendly games and plant two trees for every one used in game construction.

Yamslam is a dice game, similar to Yahtzee. Rolling the dice and choosing the combination that gets you the best results is the name of the game. Each combination has a point value but there are only four corresponding chips. Your goals is to try to get the highest-scoring combination and get the higher numerical chips before your opponents do. For 1-4 players, some of the point combinations include a flush and a full house. A Yamslam is achieved when all five dice show the same number. Bonus points are awarded for drawing the last chip from a rack and having one chip each from the stack. The game comes in a tin case, providing for more effective storage than cardboard. Yamslam is for players age 8 and up, and is a game of luck and strategy. It's quite fun to play.

Spot It! is a pocket game that also comes in a tin case. For 2-8 players, this card game requires a keen eye. Fifty-five cards make up this game in which there is only one matching symbol between any two cards in the game. There are four variations of game rules but the main object is to spot which two symbols can be found between a set of cards, and get rid of all the cards in your hand first. I have yet to win this game but I can't seem to want to quit playing it! By the time I find the first matching symbols in cards, someone else has already found it and the next card has been laid down. It goes fast and you have to find the two matching symbols before your opponent does. In addition to the original set of cards, I received an NHL version of Spot It! cards. Gameplay is the same but the cards have a hockey theme. Me and the kids really like this fast, fun game. The games we have from Blue Orange have been well received in my household by all the kids and myself.

I received products for review from Blue Orange Games. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

As I've mentioned before, my Christmas tree has ornaments that are personalized or hold special meaning. All of the kids have their own personalized Christmas ornaments on the tree, and Adam recently added another, thanks to OrnamentShop.com.

One of Adam's passions is cars. I'm pretty sure his step-dad passed the love of cars on to Adam. When he received the Yellow Car - Personalized Christmas Ornament, he was quite happy to add it to the Christmas tree. Made of resin, it resembles a convertible car, complete with painted wiper blades, headlights, and wheels. A gold string is attached so it can be hung on the tree. Adam's name is adorned atop the hood of the car. It is hung on the front of the tree so, according to Adam, "people can see my awesome ornament".

If you're looking for a specific tree ornament or angel Christmas ornaments in general, Ornament shop is your source for personalized Christmas ornaments and gifts for all occasions. Made from many different materials (ceramic, glass, dough, clay dough, metal, and resin) their ornaments represent significant memories that customers can cherish in the years to come. They even have a Christmas A to Z section where you can learn interesting and useful facts and tips about Christmas, including why is Santa in a red suit.

I received product for review from OrnamentShop.com. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.

In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don't have kids yourself.

Enter code SANTA50 to get your entire order for half price. Merry Christmas!

In exchange for this post, I'm entered to win a prize. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

I like fun and funky art designs on nails, but I will not go to a manicurist and pay to get it done. For one, I don't have the extra money. For two, I used to do it and my real nails always suffered. The glue would inevitably ruin them.

Jamberry Nails, a direct selling party company, allows me to express moods and fun colors on my nails without damaging them. Their nail shields give you a high-end salon look in the convenience of your home.

I received a set of Green and Purple Whimsical Swirl Jamberry Nails for review. The set of 18 nail shields and instructions arrived on a flat card. The instructions are easy to understand and there are eight steps to applying the nail shields. It's important that your nails are free from dirt or nail polish before applying the Jamberry Nails. Once you have matched your finger or toenail to the shield that fits it best, the nail shield needs to be warmed with a blow dryer for 10-15 seconds until warm and flexible. I actually only had to warm my nail shields for about 6-7 seconds each. After that's done, the shields get pressed onto the nails and firm pressure is applied around the edges to adhere the shield to the nail. A rubber cuticle pusher helps seal the shield around the cuticle. Excess material can be trimmed with scissors and nail files. Once the shields are on the nails, heat and pressure are to be applied again until it is sealed to the nail.

When I first used the Jamberry Nails, I wasted three of them because I did not follow instructions like I should have. I did not have a cuticle pusher or nail file around the house and thought I could do without. I found out that those two tools are important to have on hand to help trim off excess and to apply pressure. I purchased those two tools and applied the nail shield like I should've done the first time.

After correctly applying Jamberry Nails, I was very pleased with the outcome. It looks like my nails have been professionally and artistically painted. Each sheet of nail shields will do 2-3 sets of fingers or toes. The nail shields last longer than regular nail polish. I've done my fingernails twice now and each time the nail shields have stayed on for a little over a week. They can be completely removed by breaking the seal underneath the edges of your fingernails and peeling them off. No residue or stickiness has been left behind on my nails after taking the nail shields off. Sure beats going to a manicurist!

Jamberry Nails can be ordered online or through a Jamberry Consultant. You can also host a party to receive hostess rewards towards Jamberry Nails products.

In November I did a review and giveaway for YourCover, a company that enables users to create their own personalized magazine covers online. The covers can be printed by the company or you can print a downloadable image yourself. I had a cover created for my son, Adam and submitted it to the Gallery of Covers. I was happy to receive word that Adam's cover had been chosen as December's Cover of the Month! What that means is that his cover is now featured on the YourCover home page until January. I also received a gift certificate for a free YourCover magazine cover print with a wooden frame.

It's exciting to go to the YourCover homepage and see my son's magazine cover featured. Adam is stoked about it too. For the free YourCover print, I had one made for my son, Logan. He's on the track team at school and enjoys running. I'm going to gift the magazine cover in a wooden frame to him on Christmas.

I love the idea of YourCover. It's a unique product and would make a wonderful gift for anyone. Customer service is above exceptional. They helped me a couple of times in a very timely and kind manner. If you are a last minute shopper and you're still in need of a Christmas gift for someone, I'd suggest a gift from YourCover. For just $12.95, you can upload a photo and customize the cover. You'll then receive your magazine cover instantly by downloading, saving, and printing it out.

I received no compensation for this post. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The perfect pint-sized present for your little Zhu-natics, ZhuZhu Babies™ are adorable miniature ZhuZhu™s that come in a variety of collectible characters. From penguins to ponies, ZhuZhu Babies add a touch of sweetness to the Zhu-niverse™. Each character has its own name, symbol, biography, and birthday. Kids can enjoy dressing their ZhuZhu Babies™ in charming outfits, tucking them into bed with the FunTime Sleepover Playset, or watching them twirl and spin with the Dance Recital Playset. Perfectly pocket-sized, ZhuZhu Babies are a great gift for your child!

Meet A Few Of The ZhuZhu Babies That Are New To Zhu!

The stork has landed: New ZhuZhu Babies™ are just hitting shelves, and these adorable characters come in a variety of animals. Kids can collect them all!

Savvy the pony: with her bright pink coat and polished mane, Savvy is as known for her beauty as she is for her clever brains. Quick-witted and cunning, Savvy helps her pony pals get out of the stickiest of situations

Scout the mouse: quite the adventurer, Scout loves to pretend she is a pilot, swinging as high as she can on the playground. Like a true mouse, she loves cheese, which is why cheese is her symbol!

Joey the seahorse: giddy and hyper, Joey is known for never being able to "swim still." He constantly darts across the ocean, challenging his friends to races. Moving so quickly often gives this seahorse bubble hiccups, which is why bubbles are his symbol!

In exchange for this post, I'm entered to win a gift. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ from mine.

ME

The Short of It

In addition to writing for my blog, Heck Of A Bunch, I also work full-time as a 911 Dispatcher. I'm married with a blended family of six kids and a dog. In what spare time I have left, I'm a referee for the local roller derby team.

PR Welcome

If you'd like me to try out your product or sponsor a giveaway, please don't be shy. I'd be honored to team up and have some fun! E-mail me at partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com.I am interested in reviewing your products and/or hosting a giveaway. I require a sample product for all reviews. Sample products will not be returned and you will be responsible for all shipping costs.Please allow up to 2 weeks for your review to be completed. I will send you an e-mail when the products arrives and again with the link once the review is posted on my blog. Thanks!

Blog Events

FTC Disclosure

I receive products for review from companies so I can try them and give my full, honest opinion. The opinions within the post are of my own and I am not influenced in any way.
It is the reader's responsibility to research all facts regarding a product.
At times I write a sponsored post and that fact is included in the post. As well, I include the fact that I have received a product for review.